Matt Damon's roots to Boston Marathon run deep

posted by Elizabeth Durand | Yahoo! omg!
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3 years ago

(Yahoo!) - Between managing his career, being a father of four, and renewing his wedding vows, Matt Damon found time to contribute to a new (somewhat scholarly) book, "The Official History of the Boston Athletic Association, 1887-2012." In the excerpt reprinted in the Boston Globe last month, the star reflected on his ties to the famous Boston Marathon.

At the time, his essay was a heartfelt homage to his hometown and his father -- who ran the marathon a whopping four times. However, in light of Monday's tragedy, it reads with an even more poignant meaning.

The 42-year-old actor, who grew up in the greater Boston area, remembered, "Some of my most vivid childhood sports memories took form in the early 1980s at Fenway Park, the Boston Garden, and by the side of the road near the fire station of Commonwealth Avenue in Newton.

"On the third Monday in April, Comm. Ave. transforms into a sporting spectacle like no other, overwrought with nerves and excitement as enervated runners from around the world confront the historic Heartbreak Hill(s). I’ll never forget standing there in the crowd with my brother, Kyle, as we looked first for Bill Rodgers, and then, in the very same race as some of the most talented runners on earth, our smiling (and grimacing) 40-year-old dad."